Ice Moon (2 page)

I
placed the plate of macaroni and cheese in front of Charlie and moved to sit at the other side of the table. “Did you get your project done?”

“Almost.” He poked at the pasta. “Miss Lorna said we can finish tomorrow, but if you helped…”

“Wish I could.” And I did. “But I’ve got to get the deck cleared off tonight. Tomorrow the carpenter will be here to take our old one down.”

Charlie peeked out the French doors. “Will it look the same?”

“It’s going to be even bigger and he’s going to angle it so we can watch the sunsets better without the trees in the way.”

Charlie munched his food. “Can I help?”

“With what?”

He pointed his fork toward the door. “The deck.”

My eyes widened. “No.”

“Why not?” He grumbled, “I’m not a baby anymore. Is this because of my scar? I don’t even remember getting it. I’ll be real careful, I promise.”

That damned scar. His entire right forearm was burned, the skin still pink and shiny smooth, a forever reminder that I should keep my distance.

“I know you’re bigger now.” I took a sip of water, collecting my thoughts. “But you’ve never used the tools. It’s dangerous. I won’t let you get hurt again.” I set the glass down. “I’m serious, Charlie. No going out back until the new deck is ready.”

His head drooped toward his plate. “Fine.”

We finished dinner in silence.

Chapter Two

Jared

K
ilani brought beer out to the grill for Jason and me. “How are the kabobs coming?”

“Thanks.” Jason leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Maybe another five minutes.”

They’d gotten engaged a couple weeks ago. Good to see my brother so happy, but tough not to be a little envious. He’d found his mate.

I’d had plenty of relationships over the years, but being a werewolf, I’d never experienced the connection of my one true mate. Chosen by fate, recognized by the wolf inside.

When I pondered the slim chances of me actually finding this one woman…I didn’t like to think about it. “Got a new job today. Should be a good one.”

“Oh, yeah?” Jason grabbed the tongs and started turning the teriyaki chicken kabobs again. “What is it?”

“I’m building a custom deck up in Tahoe for Taryn Goldstone.”

He raised a brow. “The Ice Queen? You’ve heard about her, right?”

I chuckled and took a swig of my beer. “Who hasn’t?” I shrugged. “I don’t know. She didn’t seem so bad. She did call this afternoon to dick around with me on my price though.”

“Did you give her a discount?”

“Nah.” I shook my head. “You know I don’t play those games.”

“I bet the Queen didn’t like that.”

“Probably not, but tough shit. I still got the job.”

He clicked the neck of his bottle to mine. “Cheers, brother. I hope you won’t be kicking yourself later for taking this one.”

I took another swallow, staring into the fire. Something about Taryn Goldstone had surprised me. I’d heard the stories about her tough negotiations, her unbending will, and her reputation for getting her way, but when I got to her place, she hadn’t looked so formidable. First off, she was younger than I’d pictured, with long red hair, tied up tight on her head, and dark, shadowed blue eyes.

Lonely. No, that wasn’t quite it. She seemed withdrawn, like a princess walled up in a tower, too proud to let anyone know she wanted company.

None of my business, really, but it had thrown me a little. I expected a cold bitch. The woman I met was cold, even aloof, but there was no joy in it for her.

“So when do you start?”

I picked at the label on my beer. “Tomorrow at ten in the morning.”

“Wow. She doesn’t waste any time.”

“She wants the deck finished before the snow hits, so…”

Jason glanced my way. “Are you going to need any help? You could probably hire Luke away from Adam for a few days.”

“I should be fine.” Jason stacked the kabobs on a plate and my stomach growled. “Smells amazing.”

He smiled. “It’s the marinade. Her grandmother’s recipe.”

Kilani’s grandmother, Nani, came out and set up plates on the picnic table. Kilani’s mother and grandmother both had children very young, so her grandmother was about the same age as our mom. No one would ever guess they weren’t mother and daughter.

Jason’s mate followed her grandmother out with a big salad bowl as Jason and I stacked up baked potatoes and kabobs from the grill.

We talked for hours, but in the back of my mind, I couldn’t shake those dark blue eyes. What kept Taryn Goldstone locked in her tower? I shouldn’t care or wonder.

But I did.

I
pulled up at the Goldstone place just before ten. No one came out to greet me, so I got out and lifted the lid on the toolbox in the bed of my truck. After hooking my tool belt around my waist, I grabbed my leather gloves, mini sledgehammer, and safety goggles. The front door finally opened, but it wasn’t Taryn.

“Jared Ayers?”

“Yeah.” I nodded. “I’m here to start demolition on the deck out back.” I turned around, and chuckled when I recognized the dark haired woman on the threshold. “Sherri? How are you doing? It’s been a few years.”

“I don’t want to think about how many it’s been since we were lab partners.” She shook my hand. “I’m Ms. Goldstone’s housekeeper and Charlie’s nanny.”

“Charlie?”

“Her little boy.”

I raised a brow. I hadn’t seen Taryn’s entire house, but there weren’t any pictures of a boy on her walls or her fridge. “She has a child?”

“Yes, he’s nine years old. Sweet boy.”

My eyes widened. “Nine?” Unless she had some amazing genes, there was no way Taryn was thirty. Maybe twenty-five. Maybe. “Sorry. She doesn’t look old enough to have a nine-year-old.”

Sherri smiled. “She wasn’t quite eighteen when he was born.”

Teen mother did
not
fit with the uptight business woman who tried to get me to discount my labor costs. “I didn’t notice a mister Goldstone either.”

She shook her head. “As far as I know she’s never been married. Charlie’s dad isn’t in the picture.”

I was starting to piece together some of the blocks that might’ve built the tower Taryn hid within. “That’s too bad.”

“Yeah, but Charlie is a great kid.”

I nodded and glanced around. “Taryn told me to be here by ten a.m.”

“Ms. Goldstone had a meeting. I’m supposed to let you in.”

I raised a brow. “She asked me to come at ten knowing she wouldn’t be able to be here?”

“She’s a busy lady.” Sherri backed up to allow me inside. “But she left me a check for your deposit.”

None of this was Sherri’s fault so I did my best to rein in my annoyance. I’d refused to call Taryn “Ms. Goldstone” yesterday, and she responded by setting an appointment with me she never intended to keep.

Touché.

Out back, I found a safe spot to set down my Bluetooth speaker pumping out classic rock. The fall sky was clear, bright blue, and the morning sun shimmered on the smooth surface of Lake Tahoe. This was my favorite time of day to work. Not too hot, and peaceful. Most people were at their jobs, leaving guys like me to enjoy the freedom and the fresh air.

October in Tahoe was a steady slide in temperatures. We slipped from fall to winter on the mountain peak pretty fast. Today was about seventy-seven degrees, warm enough to lose my shirt later, but by the end of this month, I’d be lucky if we made it into the upper fifties. Depending on the snowfall, the ski resorts were usually open by Thanksgiving. My window to finish this deck would be tight.

I pony-tailed my hair back to keep it out of my face, and finally I snatched up the mini-sledgehammer. The weight was a welcome friend. Nothing released frustrations as well as swinging a weighted hammer to break apart something old and broken, and make way for something strong and new.

Her deck was riddled with dry rot. The warped beams splintered, exploding with each hit from my sledgehammer. Every swing, every crack of wood, released more of my irritation with my new client, clearing the way for level-headed thoughts.

Whatever demons chased Taryn Goldstone, it was none of my business. I couldn’t let her get under my skin. I’d do the job, and if I was lucky, when it was finished, she’d pass along my name to her wealthy clients around Tahoe.

I didn’t advertise. Word of mouth kept me plenty busy. Not that I needed much. I lived alone in my modest two bedroom cabin, with my bulldog Tank, my truck, and my tools
.
Simple, but satisfied.

This wasn’t the life I always dreamed of, but I counted myself lucky. I got to work outside where I could breathe, be my own boss, and I’d grown to love working with my hands. There was satisfaction from building something and seeing it used.

The demo went faster than I anticipated
.
Good sign. I left the mess for a quick lunch break at my truck. As I finished up, Sherri came out with keys in hand.

She smiled and raised her hand in a half-hearted wave. “I’ll be right back. Just picking up Charlie from school.”

As she drove off, I shook my head, plucking a bottle of water from my cooler. Taryn had the nanny pick up her son? I’d been brought up that hard work was important, but family always came first. It’d be different if she worked for a boss who wouldn’t let her off for the half hour it might take to grab her little boy from school, but Taryn
owned
Goldstone Properties. Her show. Her rules.

But she still sent the nanny to pick him up.
Not my problem.

I closed the cooler as a late model Honda hatchback pulled in. An older woman got out, frowning. “Can I help you?”

I glanced around before I realized she was speaking to me. “I’m building a new deck out back. I’m Jared.”

“Oh, okay.” Her concern melted into a warm smile. “Taryn mentioned she wanted to rebuild it, but I didn’t realize she’d already hired someone.”

I chuckled, stashing my cooler in the back of my truck. “Does she know you’re calling her by her first name?”

“I’m probably her oldest friend since she moved here, plus I’m older than her.” She winked. “I’m Lorna by the way.”

Spunky. I liked Lorna.

“I’m Charlie’s tutor.”

A tutor too?
I had to remind myself again that none of this craziness was my business.

“Nice to meet you, Lorna. I’m Jared. The carpenter.”

“Good to meet you, too.” She grinned and disappeared inside.

I grabbed my leather gloves and tugged them on. Time to sort out the chaos I’d left in the backyard. I separated the rotten wood from the pieces that could be repurposed. The stack of useless planks and beams grew much faster than the other. Typical. Next, I worked the old nails loose, tossing them into a bucket and leaving the discarded pieces ready for the wood chipper. I’d haul that down tomorrow.

Sweat rolled down my face. I tugged my shirt free from my pants and pulled it over my head. The breeze was like heaven on my skin. Much better. I bent down for more sorting and froze. Sniffing the air, I frowned and straightened. It was gone.

Strange. I could’ve sworn I caught the scent of another werewolf. A wolf I’d never met. Rogue wolves usually stayed far from Pack territory. Too easy to be out numbered. A lone wolf wasn’t necessarily a threat. Sometimes they were just passing through.

Sometimes.

I scanned the area, but I didn’t see anyone and the scent vanished almost as soon as I noticed it. Collecting an armful of useable wood, I turned to take it to the truck. A boy pressed his face to the French doors. Must’ve been Charlie.

I tipped my head toward him, a my-hands-are-full hello, and his eyes widened. He ran back into the shadows of the house. Given who his mother was, he probably didn’t see many men at his house. I shook it off and loaded up my truck.

Over the next three days, Charlie warmed up a little. We still hadn’t spoken, but he didn’t run away when our eyes met anymore.

Couldn’t say the same for his mother.

I hadn’t seen Taryn since I gave her the estimate. Fine with me. Sherri ran a tight ship in the house, and it was fun to catch up with her again. She even brought me a couple fresh baked chocolate chip cookies one afternoon. Lorna also made a point to come out back and chat with me while she waited for Charlie to get home from school.

Maybe next week, I could corral the lady of the house into choosing a stain color so I could get it ordered. Construction would start Monday. I still had a few more weeks of work ahead of me. Not only was the square footage of the new deck impressive, but the angle toward the sun would require plenty of precise cuts, slowing me down. If the snow held off until closer to Thanksgiving, I’d have it made.

But if anyone knew how vicious the snowstorms could be up here, it was me.

“H
ey boy!” I scratched Tank behind the ears. “I missed you, too.”

The closer I got to the cupboard where I kept his food, the more he danced around. For a big guy, he had moves. “Sorry you’ve had to stay home on this job. The owner doesn’t seem very dog friendly.” I chuckled and filled his bowl. “Don’t be offended, I don’t think she’s friendly to anybody.”

While Tank buried his head in his dish, I dug around in my freezer for a steak. My cell buzzed in my pocket.

Taryn flashed on my screen.
Speak of the devil.

I touched “answer” and pressed my phone between my ear and shoulder. “Hey, Taryn.”

She sighed, but didn’t correct me. “Sherri told me you need me to choose stain colors, but I don’t see any samples here.”

“Because they’re in my truck.”

She paused. “Tough for me to see them there.”

Did she have a sense of humor hidden under the ice someplace? “Yeah, I want to meet with you so I can show you where everything is going to go now that the old deck is gone. Just to be sure we’re on the same page. I’ll bring the stain samples with me.”

“That’s not going to work for me. I’m really busy at the office right now.”

I rolled my eyes and closed the freezer. “This isn’t a game. I get you’re pissed I insisted on calling you Taryn, but you hired me anyway. You’re the boss. Clear twenty minutes in your schedule and meet me, or this deck isn’t going to be done before the snow hits.”

She groaned, and the click of her heels on the tile floor teased my sensitive ears. “Fine. I’ll make some time on Monday. How late will you be here?”

“I’ll work as long as there’s light.”

“Okay, I’ll be home by six o’clock.”

I tossed the frozen steak on the counter. “Sounds great. See you then.”

She was already gone.

Tank took a break from his bowl to look up at me. He tilted his head and I nodded. “Yeah, I don’t know why I took this job either. I like a challenge, and I probably need to have my head examined.”

I walked into the front room and picked up the remote, trying really hard not to admit I was eager to see her again.